Fish hook separating, orientation, feeding and grouping apparatus

ABSTRACT

A rotary tumbler separates fish hooks from a random mass and delivers them onto a vibratory pick-up bar which is inclined, enabling the fish hooks to slide toward a feed bar. Improperly arranged hooks on the pick-up bar are removed and delivered back into the tumbler for recycling. Properly oriented fish hooks pass through a gaging slot in the inclined feed bar and while subjected to continued vibration gravitate toward a grouping or counting mechanism at the discharge end of the apparatus. Groups of fish hooks in predetermined numbers are readily removable for packaging. The apparatus possesses a number of critical adjustments to facilitate processing a full range of fish hook sizes.

United States Patent 1 1 Swart et al.

[451 Nov. 27, 1973 FISH HOOK SEPARATING, ORIENTATION,

FEEDING AND GROUPING APPARATUS Filed:

Inventors: Jerry E. Swart, PO. Box 332;

Homer Braudice Bennett, Jr., Rt. 1, both of Strong, Ark. 71765 Nov. 21,1972 Appl. No.: 308,602

Primary ExaminerRobert B. Reeves Assistant Examiner-Thomas E. KocovskyAtt0rneyB. P. Fishbume, Jr.

[5 '7] ABSTRACT A rotary tumbler separates fish hooks from a random massand delivers them onto a vibratory pick-up bar which is inclined,enabling the fish hooks to slide toward a feed bar. Improperly arrangedhooks on the pick-up bar are removed and delivered back into the tumblerfor recycling. Properly oriented fish hooks pass through a gaging slotin the inclined feed bar and while subjected to continued vibrationgravitate toward a grouping or counting mechanism at-the discharge endof the apparatus. Groups of fish hooks in predetermined numbers arereadily removable for packaging. The apparatus possesses a number ofcriti cal adjustments to facilitate processing a full range of fish hooksizes.

15 Claims, 16 Drawing Figures [52] US. Cl 221/162, 198/33 R, 221/296[51] Int. Cl B65h 9/00 [58] Field of Search ..22l/l57l62,

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,598,973 6/1952 Chiaberta221/162 2,825,489 3/1958 Batchelder. 221/162 X 2,879,919 3/1959 Knoche221/176 X 2,988,247 6/197] Garrett 221/162 6| 68 n, 1 :1 T 59 I 1PATENTEI] NOV 2'! 1975' SHEET 3 OF 4 1 FISH HOOK SEPARATING,ORIENTATION, FEEDING AND GROUPING APPARATUS BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTIONseparate from tangled masses due to their shape and due to the fact thatthey possessbarbs and eyesat their opposite ends. Because of thesepeculiarities of fish hooks and because they come in avariety of sizes,no known prior art apparatus is capable of processing them automaticallyon a commercial scale for packaging, including the steps of separatingthe hooks from'a mass, and continually feeding them in an orderly andexpeditious manner to a grouping or counting station. Up to the presenttime, the only feasible way to handle fish hooks has been by hand, andthis isunderstandably very slow and uneconomical.

Accordingly, the essence of this invention is to provide an efficient,economical and reliable machine which can receive a tangled mass of fishhooks of any given size and can then automatically proceed to separatehooks systematically from the mass and deliver them to a supporting andfeeding means which in turn conveys fish hooks in large numbers and in asteady stream properly oriented and separated toa counting or groupingstation, where groups of hooks are removed for packaging. The human handneed not touch the hooks between the times when they are placed in therotary tumbler until properly counted groups of oriented hooks areremoved at the discharge end of the apparatus. 1

The apparatus has several very important adjustment features enablingthe processing of a full range of fish hook sizes and several of theseadjustments are quite necessary and critical for the apparatus toprocess the fish hooks in an entirely practical and efficient manner ona commercial scale. 4

Other features and advantages of the invention will become apparentduring the course of the following detailed description.

DESCRIPTION OF DRAWING FIGURES FIG. 1 is a side elevational view, partlyin section, of a fish hook processing apparatus embodying the invention.

FIG. 2 is a transverse vertical section taken on line 22 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a similar section taken on line 3-3 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 4 is a horizontal section taken on line 4-4 of FIG. 1

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary end elevational view of the apparatus with partsomitted showing a cam for producing vibration of a pick-up and feed barassembly at required frequencies.

FIG. 6 is an enlarged fragmentary vertical section taken through thepick-up bar and an adjacent rotary device which removes certain fishhooks improperly arranged on the pick-up bar.

FIG. 7 is a sectional view similar to FIG. 6 showing the operation ofthe device for removing or rejectin certain fish hooks onthe pick-upbar. 1

FIG. 8 is an enlarged fragmentary side elevation of a stepped connectionbetween the pick-up and feed bars, forming an essential means in thecomplete separation and orientation of the moving fish hooks.

FIG. 9 is another view similar to FIG. 8 and further illustrating theoperation of the stepped connectionfor separating crossed hooks.

FIG. 10 is an enlarged fragmentary section through the feed bar and itsadjusting means taken on line 10-10 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 11 is an enlarged fragmentary side elevation of a hook counting orgrouping mechani'smat the discharge end of the apparatus in a firstposition.

FIG. 12 is a similar view of the grouping or counting mechanism in asecond position.

FIG. 13 is another similar view of the mechanism in a third operatingposition.

FIGS. 14 and 15 are sectional views through a variable diameter conepulley employed on the apparatus at twolocations to allow regulation ofthe speed of rotation of the tumbler and of the vibration-inducing cam.

FIG. 16 is'a view similar to FIG. 13 showing a modification of thegrouping or counting mechanism where the latter is operated by asolenoid instead of manually.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION Referring to the drawings in detail wherein likenumerals designate like parts throughout, the numeral 20 designates asuitable support table for the apparatus upon which are fixedly mountedforward and rearward pairs of laterally spaced upstanding mounting posts21 and 22, having rollers 23 joumaled on their upper ends for thesupport of a horizontal axis rotary tumbler drum 24 This tumbler drum 24has a main cylindrical section 25 forming a tumbler chamber for a randommass of fish hooks 26 of any given size which are placed therein.Generally, the mass of fish hooks will be entangled and matted due totheir shapes and due to the action of their barbs and eyes. Within thetumbler chamber 25 at the periphery thereof and mounted a plurality,preferably four, circumferentially equidistantly spaced tumbler blades27 which are quite narrow in the radial direction. The radial width ofthe tumbler blades is important and it has been discovered that if theseblades project too far inwardly from the cylindrical side wall of thetumbler, they are less effective in separating the hooks from a tangledmass. The blades 27 extend for the full length of the cylindricaltumbler chamber 25, as shown.

Forwardly of the chamber 25, the tumbler drum 24 has a forwardlyconically tapering extension 28, having a relatively wide forward openend 29, through which a fresh mass of hooks may readily be introducedinto the tumbler. The tapered extension 28 also forms a safety shieldaround the pick-up bar and rotary hook rejecting mechanism, to bedescribed, to prevent rejected hooks from flying about. The taperedextension also serves to convey rejected hooks back into the cylindricaltumbler chamber 25 for recycling. Therefore, it may be seen that theconfiguration of the tumbler drum and its internal parts are importantto the proper overall functioning of the apparatus. The rearward end ofthe drum 24 is partially closed by an end wall 30 which has a morerestricted central opening 31 receiving the rear end portion of thepick-up bar, soon to be described.

Rotation at the desired speed is imparted to the tumbler drum 24 by alarge pulley 32 on the periphery thereof driven by a belt 33 which isengaged with and driven by a driving pulley 34 on a line drive shaft 35beneath the table 20, supported by suitable bearings 36. The pulley 34is preferably an adjustable diameter cone pulley of the type depicted inFIGS. 14 and and this pulley will be described in further detail inconnection with another critical component of the apparatus requiringadjustment of its rotational speed. The speed of the tumbler drum 24must be matched or selected carefully with the particular size andweight of fish hooks passing through the apparatus. Different sizes ofhooks naturally have different weights and differ in degrees of inertia.If the tumbler drum rotates too fast for a given hook size, the latterwill tend to overshoot the pick-up bar and if the drum is rotating tooslowly, the books will tend to fall short of the bar. Consequently, therotation of the drum must be tuned to a particular size of hook beingprocessed at any given time and this is the reason for providing theadjustable speed pulley 34.

The drive shaft 35 is driven from an electric motor 37 on the tablethrough a driving belt 38 and a pulley 39 on the drive shaft 35. At itsforward end, the drive shaft carries another pulley 40 operating a belt41 which drives a pulley 42 on the forward end of an overhead horizontalshaft 43 mounted on suitable bearing supports 44 secured to the table20. The rearward end of the rotary shaft 43 projects into the taperedextension 28 of the drum 24, slightly eccentrically thereof, FIG. 3, andcarries a preferably single blade rotor element 45 formed of rubber orrubber-like material and held snugly in a cross slot of the shaft 43.The operation of the rotor element or blade 45 is quite critical in theinvention and will be further described in connection with FIGS. 6 and7. It has been discovered that no other type of rotor, such as a bristlebrush rotor or a rigid blade rotor, will perform satisfactorily forrejecting the improperly oriented fish hooks. The rubber-like roor blade45 must be adjustable to accommodate hooks of difierent sizes and musthave a proper degree of sweep to reject the hooks while avoidingentanglement with the hooks themselves after their removal from thepickup bar. To facilitate this, the rubber-like blade 45 may be replacedin the cross slot of the shaft 43 by a different blade of slightlydifferent radial dimensions when required. Also to avoid the possibilityof rejected hooks landing on the shaft 43, the diameter of this shaft ismade slightly larger than the bight portion of the largest size hookhandled by the machine. The projection of the blade 45 from twodiametrically opposite sides only of the shaft 43 also preventsentanglement of rejected hooks with the rotor structure. This has been acritical feature of the apparatus to develop and the particular rotorarrangement shown and described is thought to be the only one which willefficiently perform the function in question.

At its rearward end, the drive shaft 35 carries another pulley 46operating a belt 47, driving a pulley 48, FIGS. 14 and 15, on a shortcam shaft 49 supported on an upstanding bar 50 or mount suitably fixedto the table 20. The shaft 49 supports a rotary vibration-inducing cam51 having circumferentially spaced stepped cam lobes 52. The cam 51 issuitably attached to one side of the driving pulley 48 and this pulleyis of the variable diameter type shown in FIGS. 14 and l5. It comprisestwo cone pulley sections 53 and 54 on a reduced extension 55 of shaft49, .which extension is screw-threaded to accommodate an adjusting nut56 by means of which the pulley diameter in relation to the belt 47 isrendered readily adjustable. The need for this adjustment is founded onthe fact that thefrequency of vibration of the pick-up bar, to bedescribed, must be varied in accordance with the size and weight ofvarious fish hooks, and a single frequency of vibration will not sufficein the processing of all sizes of hooks. The identical pulleyconstruction described in connection with FIGS. 14 and 15 is employed inconnection with the previously mentioned variable pulley 34 whichcontrols the speed of rotation of drum 24.

A fish hook pick-up bar 57 extends longitudinally through the rotarydrum 24 substantially centrally thereof and at a slight downwardinclination from the rear toward the front of the apparatus. The pick-upbar 57 is a relatively thin blade-like bar arranged on edge verticallywithin the tumbler drum and extending entirely therethrough and somewhatbeyond the rear and forward ends thereof. The rear end of the pick-upbar is supported movably in a vertical slot 58, FIG. 5, formed in thetop of the support bar 50, the rearward extremity of the pick-up barresting upon the periphery of the rotary cam 51 so as to be repeatedlyraised and lowered in a vibratory manner by tripping over the lobes 52as the cam rotates in the direction of the ar- 1 row, FIG. 5. In thismanner, the desired degree of vibration is constantly imparted to thepick-up bar by the cam 51 and the frequency of vibration can be adjustedthrough the variable pulley 48, as described, to accommodate variousfish hook sizes.

Referring to FIGS. 6 and 7, the fish hook rejecting rotor blade 45rotates close to one side of the vibratory pick-up bar 57 and any fishhooks 26 whose shanks lie on the vertical side of the pick-up baradjacent the rotor blade 45 will be ejected or rejected in the mannershown in FIG. 7. These rejected hooks will fall back into the rotatingtapered extension 28 of the drum and will be conveyed back graduallyinto the, tumbling chamber 25 for recycling. The hooks 26 which lie onthe remote side of the bar 57, FIG. 6, are properly oriented forcontinued processing and are uneffected by the operation of the rotorblade 45. The criticality of the rubber-like rotor blade 45 haspreviously been discussed, along with the fact that the blade 45 and theshaft 43 are constructed to resist entanglement with the falling ejectedhooks. 1

When the properly oriented fish hooks 26 pass forwardly of the ejectingrotor, they will ultimately travel beyond the forward end of the drum 24and will approach a somewhat more steeply inclined vibrating feed barassembly 59 consisting of a feed bar body 60 and an overlying gage bar61 which is coextensive with the feed bar body substantially and defineswith the top edge thereof a gaging slot or passage 62. As shown in FIGS.8 and 9, the rear end of feed bar body 60 is welded at 63 to the leadingend of pick-up bar 57 in such a way that an abrupt step 64 or drop-offpoint is formed at the junction of the two welding renders Theweldingrenders the two bars integral so that the vibration induced bythe cam 51 is carried forwardly to the pick-up bar assembly 59 withoutthe need for any additional vibration means. The forward end of theassembly 59 is suitably supported on the table 20 in such a manner thatthe bar assembly will not be displaced from the-table and vibration isnot interfered with. For example, the forward end of the bar body 60 mayrest on a suitable bearing support 65 formed of or lined withrubber-like material which merely grips the bar 60 yielding so as tostabilize it.

The provision of the step 64 is another critical feature required forthe completely successful handling of the fish hooks 26. Occasionally,the otherwise correctly oriented hooks will approach the end of thepick-up bar 57 in crossed pairs as shown in two instances in FIG. 8. Assuch pairs reach the step 64, the underlying hook of the pair will droponto the feed bar body 60 a brief instant before the upper hook of thesame crossed pair, whereby the two hooks will be properly separatedafter they both drop over the step and onto the bar body 60. This isdepicted in FIGS. 8 and 9, the latter figure showing the underlying hookof the crossed pair already descended from the step and moving down thebar 60 while the second hook is about to descend from the pick-up bar 57to the feed bar body 60. This feature of the step 64 thus assures thefinal separation and proper orientation of all hooks passing onto thefeed bar assembly 59.

The previously mentioned gage bar 61 is rendered readily adjustablerelative to the bar 60 by a series of U-shaped resilient loops 66 spacedalong the feed bar assembly 59 and having respective ends welded to thegage bar 61 and feed bar body 60, as shown in FIG. 10. The loops 66 maybe adjusted between their ends by threaded adjusting means 67 spacedfrom one side of the bar assembly 59 to'thereby vary the width of thegage slot 62. The purpose of this gage slot is to admit and guideoriented fish hooks of one given size only as they pass forwardly.toward the counting or grouping station. The arrangement of theadjusting means 66-67 beyond-one side of the bar assembly 59 assuresthat there will be no entanglement with the moving hooks 26 as theytravel along the feed bar assembly 59.

Near the discharge end or lower end of the feed bar assembly 59 ismounted a counting or grouping mecha nism 68 which forms another majorfeature of the invention. The operation of this mechanism 68 isgraphically shown in drawing FIGS. l1, l2 and 13. In these figures, themechanism 68 includes a stop element 69 pivoted at 70 to the lower endof gage bar 61. An anchor bar 71 is fixedly secured to the bar 61somewhat upstreamfrom its lower end, and below this anchor bar incrossing relation an arm 72 is pivotally attached at 73 to the gage bar61. The two bars 71 and 72 are connected by a retractile spring 74 and astop pin 75 on the fixed bar 72 serves to limit upward movement of thearm 72. The arm 72 carries a counting or grouping blade 75 having asharply beveled lower edge for engaging between fish hooks 26accumulating near the bottom of the feed bar assembly. A manual handleor lever 76 is pivoted at 77 near the center of the arm 72 and carries astop release element 78 adapted to contact and raise the stop element 69whenthe handle is depressed. Another retractile spring 79 interconnectsthe handle 76 and the arm 72 and tends to bias the handle upwardly tothe position shown in FIG. 11.

When the operator releases the handle 76 as shown in FIG. 11, thesprings 74 and 79 hold the stop release 7 element 78 and the counting orgrouping blade-75 eleshown in FIG. 12 and the blade will descend intocontact with the stack of fish hooks to separate a definite groupbetween the stop element 69 and the counting or grouping blade. At thistime, the stop element 69, FIG. 12, is still active. Theblade 75 is nowbeginning to serve as a stop element for the additional hooks 26 whichare continually moving down the vibrating feed bar assembly 59.

The final and complete lowering of the handle 76 by the operator shownin FIG. 13 moves the release element 78 into contact with the pivotedstop element 69 and elevates the leading end of the same to'a releaseposition with respect to the counted stack or group of v hooks 26separated from the other hooks by the blade 75. The blade 75 remains inthe active position. The now released stack of hooks are now free tomove ofi of the discharge end of the feed bar assembly into a package orfor any further processing which may be necessary. When the handle 76 isreleased, the mechanism 68 will return automatically under influence ofthe springs to the position of FIG. 11 so that the process of groupingor counting hooks for the next package may commence. At this time, theblade 75 releases the hooks which have been accumulating against it, asshown in FIGS. 12 and 13, and these hooks now again begin to accumulateagainst the stop element 69 which is in the active position. I

' FIG. 16 shows a modification of the grouping or counting mechanism 68which is identical in construction and operation to the previouslydescribed mechanism except that a lever 76 replaces the manual handle 76and is power-operated automatically at predetermined time intervals byan electrical solenoid or some similar power actuator, such as apneumatic cylinder. The solenoid 80 may be secured by a bracket 81 tothe lower end of bar 60 and its plunger rod 82 has a slotted connectionat 83 withthe terminal end of lever 76'. With this arrangement and aconventional control circuit with timing means, the counting or groupingmechanism 68 is rendered automatic and the operator may be dispensedwith.

It should be understood that otherknown types of counting or groupingdevices could be employed in lieu of the mechanism 68. However, thisparticular mechanism is simplified and is mechanicallycompatible withthe present invention structure and forms a ready attachment thereto.

It should now be understood that the invention enables the placement ofa random mass of fish hooks of a given size into the tumbler drum 24.The rotational speed of this drum and the speed of the vibration cam 51are adjusted in accordance with the size of hook by the use of theadjustable diameter pulley 48. The tumbler drum deposits hookscontinuously on the pick-up bar 57 where the hooks hang shank downwardlyand move gradually toward the forward open end of the drum. The rotorblade 45 acts on the hooks 26 whose shanks are on one side of thepick-up bar and rejects these hooks which fall back into the tumblerdrum for recycling. The other hooks, FIG. 6,pass by the rotor 45 andfinally fall over the step 64 where any crossed pairs of hooks areseparated, to complete the orientation and separation process. The hooksnow travel down along the feed bar assembly 59 through the gaging slot62 which is preset for hooks of one size. Finally the hooks are groupedand separated near the bottom of the feed bar assembly readyforpackaging, as described.

It is to be understood that the form of the invention herewith shown anddescribed is to be taken as a preferred example of the same, and thatvarious changes in the shape, size and arrangement of parts may beresorted to, without departing from the spirit of the invention or scopeof the subjoined claims.

We claim:

1. A fish hook separating, feeding and grouping apparatus comprising incombination a substantially horizontal axis rotary tumbler drum for fishhooks placed therein in random masses, a single inclined pick-up barextending generally axially through the tumbler drum to receive fishhooks from the drum with the hooks suspended from the pick-up bar shanksdownwardly on either side of the pick-up bar, means to impart vibrationcontinuously to the pick-up bar to induce movement of the suspended fishhooks forwardly on the pick-up bar, a rotary device near one side of thepick-up bar to engage the fish hook shanks on that side of the pick-upbar and remove such hooks from the pick-up bar and deposit them backinto said drum for further tumbling, an inclined fish hook feed barassembly extending forwardly of the pick-up bar and joined theretorigidly so that vibrations of the pick-up bar are imparted to the feedbar assembly, there being an abrupt vertical step at the junction of thepick-up bar and feed bar assembly over which the moving fish hooks fallfreely when passing from the pick-up bar to the feed bar assembly tothereby separate crossing pairs of hooks, and means near the lower endof the feed bar assembly to group predetermined numbers of fish hooksfor packaging or further processing while temporarily arresting movementof oncoming fish hooks along the feed bar assembly.

2. The structure of claim 1, and said feed bar assembly comprising afeed bar body upon which the moving fish hooks are suspended with theirshanks arranged on one side thereof, and an overlying substantiallycoextensive gage bar adjustably mounted above the feed bar body andforming with the top edge of the feed bar body a gaging slot throughwhich the bights of the fish hooks must pass while traveling down thefeed bar assembly toward the grouping means.

3. The structure of claim 2, and said feed bar assembly being moresteeply inclined than said pick-up bar.

4. The structure of claim 1, and said single pick-up bar comprising arelatively thin blade-like bar arranged in a vertical plane edgewise.

5. The structure of claim 1, and power means to rotate said tumbler drumat a desired speed and to simultaneously operate the vibration impartingmeans at a desired speed, said power means including a pair ofadjustable variable speed drive elements for said drum and vibrationimparting means.

6. The structure of claim 5, and said vibration imparting meansincluding a multiple lobe rotary cam engaging the lower edge of saidpick-up bar and imparting rapid vertical oscillations thereto, andslotted support and stabilizing means for the pick-up bar near said cam.

7. The structure of claim 1, and said rotary device including a rotaryshaft and a single rotor blade element formed of rubber-like material onsaid shaft and projecting radially and equidistantly beyonddiametrically opposed sides of the shaft, said rotor blade elementpassing close to one vertical side of said pick-up bar and serving tobrush suspended fish hooks upwardly at said side to separate them fromthe pick-up bar.

8. The structure of claim 7, and said'rotary shaft having a diameterslightly larger than the bight of the largest fish hook processed by theapparatus.

9. The structure of claim 2, and plural spaced resilient loop elementshaving their ends rigidly anchored to corresponding sides of said gagebar and feed bar body and projecting outwardly of said correspondingsides, and adjustable screw-threaded elements interconnecting theopposite sides of said loop elements and being spaced from saidcorresponding sides of said gage bar and feed bar body and operable toadjust the width of said gaging slot.

10. The structure of claim 7, and power means common to the tumblerdrum, vibration imparting means and said rotary device to operate thesame in unison.

11. The structure of claim 1, and said means to group fish hookscomprising a stop element for the moving fish hooks near the dischargeend of said feed bar assembly and being normally active,.a normallyinactive vertically movable blade element engageable with the fish hookson the feed bar assembly to separate groups stacked against the stopelement from other fish hooks moving on the feed bar assembly, and amechanical linkage including an operating lever on the feed bar assemblyand operable to deactivate said stop element and to substantiallysimultaneously activate the blade element.

12. The structure of claim 11, and a release element for said stopelement mounted on said lever and movable thereby into contact with thestop element to release the latter from the active stopping positionwhen I the blade element is moved into group-forming relation with thefish hooks, the stop element being a pivoted element.

13. The structure of claim 11, and spring means connected with saidlinkage and normally maintaining it in an inactive position relative tothe fish hooks.

14. The structure of claim 11, and said operating lever comprising amanual lever.

' 15. The structure of claim 11, and a power actuator for said lever tomove the same at predetermined time intervals automatically toaccomplish the grouping of said fish hooks.

1. A fish hook separating, feeding and grouping apparatus comprising incombination a substantially horizontal axis rotary tumbler drum for fishhooks placed therein in random masses, a single inclined pick-up barextending generally axially through the tumbler drum to receive fishhooks from the drum with the hooks suspended from the pick-up bar shanksdownwardly on either side of the pick-up bar, means to impart vibrationcontinuously to the pick-up bar to induce movement of the suspended fishhooks forwardly on the pick-up bar, a rotary device near one side of thepick-up bar to engage the fish hook shanks on that side of the pick-upbar and remove such hooks from the pick-up bar and deposit them backinto said drum for further tumbling, an inclined fish hook feed barassembly extending forwardly of the pick-up bar and joined theretorigidly so that vibrations of the pick-up bar are imparted to the feedbar assembly, there being an abrupt vertical step at the junction of thepick-up bar and feed bar assembly over which the moving fish hooks fallfreely when passing from the pick-up bar to the feed bar assembly tothereby separate crossing pairs of hooks, and means near the lower endof the feed bar assembly to group predetermined numbers of fish hooksfor packaging or further processing while temporarily arresting movementof oncoming fish hooks along the feed bar assembly.
 2. The structure ofclaim 1, and said feed bar assembly comprising a feed bar body uponwhich the moving fish hooks are suspended with thEir shanks arranged onone side thereof, and an overlying substantially coextensive gage baradjustably mounted above the feed bar body and forming with the top edgeof the feed bar body a gaging slot through which the bights of the fishhooks must pass while traveling down the feed bar assembly toward thegrouping means.
 3. The structure of claim 2, and said feed bar assemblybeing more steeply inclined than said pick-up bar.
 4. The structure ofclaim 1, and said single pick-up bar comprising a relatively thinblade-like bar arranged in a vertical plane edgewise.
 5. The structureof claim 1, and power means to rotate said tumbler drum at a desiredspeed and to simultaneously operate the vibration imparting means at adesired speed, said power means including a pair of adjustable variablespeed drive elements for said drum and vibration imparting means.
 6. Thestructure of claim 5, and said vibration imparting means including amultiple lobe rotary cam engaging the lower edge of said pick-up bar andimparting rapid vertical oscillations thereto, and slotted support andstabilizing means for the pick-up bar near said cam.
 7. The structure ofclaim 1, and said rotary device including a rotary shaft and a singlerotor blade element formed of rubber-like material on said shaft andprojecting radially and equidistantly beyond diametrically opposed sidesof the shaft, said rotor blade element passing close to one verticalside of said pick-up bar and serving to brush suspended fish hooksupwardly at said side to separate them from the pick-up bar.
 8. Thestructure of claim 7, and said rotary shaft having a diameter slightlylarger than the bight of the largest fish hook processed by theapparatus.
 9. The structure of claim 2, and plural spaced resilient loopelements having their ends rigidly anchored to corresponding sides ofsaid gage bar and feed bar body and projecting outwardly of saidcorresponding sides, and adjustable screw-threaded elementsinterconnecting the opposite sides of said loop elements and beingspaced from said corresponding sides of said gage bar and feed bar bodyand operable to adjust the width of said gaging slot.
 10. The structureof claim 7, and power means common to the tumbler drum, vibrationimparting means and said rotary device to operate the same in unison.11. The structure of claim 1, and said means to group fish hookscomprising a stop element for the moving fish hooks near the dischargeend of said feed bar assembly and being normally active, a normallyinactive vertically movable blade element engageable with the fish hookson the feed bar assembly to separate groups stacked against the stopelement from other fish hooks moving on the feed bar assembly, and amechanical linkage including an operating lever on the feed bar assemblyand operable to deactivate said stop element and to substantiallysimultaneously activate the blade element.
 12. The structure of claim11, and a release element for said stop element mounted on said leverand movable thereby into contact with the stop element to release thelatter from the active stopping position when the blade element is movedinto group-forming relation with the fish hooks, the stop element beinga pivoted element.
 13. The structure of claim 11, and spring meansconnected with said linkage and normally maintaining it in an inactiveposition relative to the fish hooks.
 14. The structure of claim 11, andsaid operating lever comprising a manual lever.
 15. The structure ofclaim 11, and a power actuator for said lever to move the same atpredetermined time intervals automatically to accomplish the grouping ofsaid fish hooks.